Straining Towards the Light
by Sabishi Tomo
Summary: Inspired by the dedication of the volleyball team, Yachi struggles to carve her own path to becoming a designer, with some help along the way. Yachi-centric fic, featuring heavy doses of KageHinaYachi friendship. Some Yachi/Hinata. Follows the first-years through the end of high school. One-shot. Complete.


**Straining Towards the Light**

 _ **Summary:**_ Mostly gen. Inspired by the dedication of the volleyball team, Yachi struggles to carve her own path to becoming a designer, with some help along the way. Yachi-centric fic, featuring heavy doses of KageHinaYachi friendship. Some Yachi/Hinata. Follows the first-years through the end of high school. One-shot. Complete.

* * *

Yachi left her career counselling session at the Vice-Principal's office feeling incredibly depressed. Even though she was only a freshman, their high school required students to have a career counselling session at the end of every year. Yachi would rather have a fist-fight with the tallest, scariest volleyball player in the Tohoku region than be counselled by the Vice-Principal. But of course, she had no choice in the matter.

The counselling session was as horrifying as she had expected. Yachi felt that the Vice-Principal was judging her for every word that she said. When Yachi had explained that she wanted to work in the design industry, he had made some snide comment about people in the creative industry either hitting it big or becoming low-life bums. The Vice-Principal had probably put Yachi in the latter category in his head. At least that's what it seemed like to Yachi. Or was she self-projecting because of her own insecurities?

Yachi was quite uncertain about what she wanted to do for her career. She really envied Kageyama, Hinata and the other volleyball regulars for their single-minded dedication to volleyball – they had something that they could put all their effort to into, at least for now. But she didn't have any passions like that. The reason she had mentioned design work to the Vice-Principal was because it was the only thing she could imagine doing for her career. She had grown up with it because of her mother's company, Yachi Create. Her mother had taught her a thing or two throughout the years, and Yachi thought that she at least had the basic foundation for being a graphic designer. But it was simply that she didn't know what else she could do as opposed to actually wanting to be a graphic designer. Although, she supposed she did enjoy it to an extent…

Still, to have the Vice-Principal dismantle her career options when she was already so unsure, it was just too much… He could have at least listened to her reasoning for it, and offered some tips or presented other options based on her skills. It's not like she was a bad student.

And yet… the fact that the Vice-Principal was able to discourage her so easily with a few petty words. Didn't that mean that her resolve was weak and that she just wasn't cut out for it?

"What's with the long face, Yachi-san?"

Yachi jumped, her overactive imagination immediately on high alert for threats. She found the smiling face of Takeda-sensei peering at her from outside the Faculty Room.

"Does it have something to do with career counselling?" he asked knowingly.

A few moments later they were seated across from each other at Takeda-sensei's desk. He summarized, "So, you think a career in design is the best option, but you're not sure if you're good enough to get into a reputed art school." Takeda-sensei clapped his hands together brightly. "Well the good news is you have over a year and half to prepare an application. You're starting early!"

"A lot of the serious contenders start doing freelance work when they enter high school or enter competitions so that they can build a portfolio." Yachi murmured. "I… I can't compete with something like that."

The boundless optimism of Takeda-sensei was not so easily deterred. "Yachi-san, do you remember how we were short of club money in the summer?" When Yachi nodded, he continued. "You weren't even an official member of the club then, but you took the initiative to create a fundraising poster of your own accord, an excellent one at that! You helped me out a lot!"

Takeda-sensei's smile grew as Yachi's cheeks tinged pink. "You should have seen the type of posters we had before that point – black stick figures on white paper. It's no wonder we received so many donations."

"I-it was my pleasure." Yachi scratched the back of her head, embarrassed by the sudden onslaught of praise. Takeda-sensei was a little bit like Hinata, wasn't he? He knew how to lay it on thick, but it was always sincere.

"So, Yachi-san, if you say that you're not a contender, I say to you, you're wrong!"

Takeda-sensei stood up to his full height - all 167 centimeters of it. He certainly had a flair for the dramatic.

Yachi found Takeda-sensei's unwavering belief in her touching, but also a little alarming. Did she truly deserve such conviction from him? "You know, sensei, I had help with that poster. Hinata and Kageyama-kun helped me. And my mom gave me tips."

"And I'm sure those serious contenders you mentioned have help too. No-one is a one-man show, Yachi-san. Think about our volleyball team. It's true that it's the boys who put all the effort out on court, but do you think they could do what they do without the efforts of Ukai-kun, myself and our two reliable managers?"

"But, sensei, don't you think it's a problem that I'm pursuing something just because I have some experience with it?" Yachi struggled to put her thoughts into words. "L-Like… it's not like I am passionate about design. I don't even know if it's the right fit for me. I don't have a passion for anything, really."

Takeda-sensei was quiet for a few moments, and Yachi thought she might have him stumped. But his next words startled her.

"I wasn't passionate about teaching at first either. I just got into it because it made sense when I graduated."

"I would have never guessed!" Yachi exclaimed. "You seem to enjoy teaching a lot!"

"Now, I do. Once I saw what sort of impact I can make on my students, I was hooked! You're only sixteen, you have plenty of time to figure out what it is that makes you tick!"

When Yachi looked doubtful, Takeda-sensei continued kindly, "Yachi-san, you said you don't have a passion for anything. But passion comes in many forms. You spend hours with the volleyball team helping them practice, staying back when someone wants to keep at it after hours. You scout out rival teams and take notes on their matches. You spearhead our fundraising effort. So please, don't sell yourself short, because I've seen your dedication to help our team succeed. If that's not passion, what is?"

When Takeda-sensei finished, Yachi felt almost moved to tears.

"Was that too much?" Her sensei asked sheepishly.

"N-Not at all, sensei!" Yachi smiled. "I… I am really thankful for your kind words."

There was a brief pause during which Yachi hastily got up. "Thank you so much for your advice, Takeda-sensei! You're totally right – there's no reason for me to give up before I've even started. I'm going to do my best!"

And Yachi rushed out before she actually burst into tears.

A nearby colleague whistled. "Take-chan strikes again!"

"You were pretty cool back there, Ittetsu-san!" said another fellow teacher.

"He might have made the poor girl cry though."

Takeda-sensei hid behind the pile of books on his desk to cover his embarrassment. How many of his colleagues had been listening in?!

* * *

As the bell rang signaling the start of lunch break, Yachi had an idea, but she wasn't sure about the best time to execute it. Her duties for the volleyball club didn't leave much spare time during school hours. As she absentmindedly walked to the corridor, bustling with students making a beeline for the cafeteria and other lunch spots, she ran into Hinata, who had Kageyama in tow.

"Yachi-san! Lunch?" Hinata lifted up his bento box, which was covered with adorable, smiling kittens (Hinata always made it a point to mention that his lunch box wraps belonged to his little sister).

Yachi had lunch with Kageyama and Hinata most days, a habit that had formed when she had started tutoring them in English, but in her preoccupation today, she had completely forgotten.

"I think I'm gonna skip lunch today." Yachi said guiltily. "I have to take care of something. Sorry, Hinata, Kageyama-kun!"

"Aww, it's okay," Hinata said, looking disappointed, while Kageyama simply nodded. She supposed that was Kageyama-speak for _It's cool._

"See you at practice!" Hinata called after her as she scampered off, and she waved back at them.

"I wonder what's important enough to skip lunch," Hinata pouted, turning to Kageyama. "Food comes before everything else, even volleyball!"

Kageyama snorted.

…

Of course, convincing the art club to let her see their past work when she was part of another club wasn't going to be easy, but she already knew that.

When she first entered, Okamoto-senpai immediately pounced on her. "Oi, Hitoka! Have you finally decided to join our club after all this time?" Okamoto Jun, a second-year, was the Vice-President of the art club. When she'd joined the club on a trial basis at the beginning of the year, he had taken a liking to her, and had been disappointed when she decided not to become a member.

"I don't think I can join, senpai." She said sheepishly, nervous about his reaction. Okamoto was _friendly_ but he could also be rather intimidating. Kind of like his fellow second-years Nishinoya and Tanaka. "I'm part of another club now…"

The art club was one of the bigger clubs at their school, and they had an enormous budget. Truth be told, she found it to be a little too stiff her tastes. Even now, she didn't regret her decision to not join the club.

"Hmph." Okamoto's demeanor changed instantly. "Then, go away. You have no business being here." He pushed her to the door.

A few club members had been following their conversation curiously, but most of them had gone back to their work now, a couple shaking their heads at their Vice-President's antics, who was rather aggressive about recruitment.

NO! There was no way Yachi was giving up so easily. Struggling to break free of her senpai's vice-like grip, she turned around and bowed deeply, a perfect ninety degrees. "Okamoto-senpai, will you hear me out for two minutes, please?" She flashed him her cutest smile, doing her best to mask her nervousness.

She explained that the volleyball club, which she was manager of, was really important to her and that there was no way she could quit. However, she wanted to apply to design schools, and looking at the art club's past work would help her be a competitive applicant. She was willing to return the favor to the art club in any way possible.

Okamoto softened when he heard about the volleyball club. Yachi didn't know this before but he was apparently good friends with Nishinoya. He agreed to give her access to their storage room, provided she helped the club out from time to time as an unofficial member, such as during school festivals. Yachi didn't know what she was getting into, but she had no choice but to agree to those terms.

The art club storage room was enormous, and Yachi found herself envying the club's large budget. They had artwork dating back eight to ten years. She was particularly impressed by the sheer diversity of the artwork. There were all the traditional mediums such as charcoal, paint, oil on canvas, pastel, but club members also seemed to have dabbled in ceramics, woodwork, sculpturing and screen print. They didn't seem to have too many graphic designers in the club, but that was okay. Yachi was here for exposure.

"What do you think?" Okamoto asked, as he finished showing her around the storage room. Yachi recognized the look on his face. It was a mixture of pride and humility. It was the same expression she wore when she told anyone about the achievements of her own club.

"It's really amazing!" Yachi exclaimed sincerely. "But, Okamoto-senpai, there's no way I can go through this in a day!"

"You're welcome to come back anytime, unofficial club member!" he grinned.

Yachi grinned back. Okamoto-senpai was really like Nishinoya after all. A bit intense, but warm and kind once you got to know him. She wasn't surprised Nishinoya and him were friends.

* * *

Sitting at her desk in her room, Yachi's eyes kept straying to the pamphlet Okamoto had given her earlier that day, instead of focusing on her homework.

" _Participate in as many contests as you can. Even if you don't place, art schools look on contest participation really favorably. And it'll help push you to completing your portfolio too." Okamoto handed her a pamphlet. "This photo contest is a pretty good one that's coming up."_

The deadline for the contest was only a few days away. That couldn't be helped, but she already had a completed piece she could submit, didn't she?

She clicked on a file in her desktop. Hinata appeared, poised in midair and ready to strike, with the center court of the Tokyo Metropolitan stadium in the background. The sunlight streamed into Hinata's face, reflecting his hair and his eyes and giving a halo effect. She had edited that in because, to her, Hinata was the epitome of sunlight, even though his intense presence on-court belied his sunny, laidback personality off-court.

Yachi still remembered that fateful day, almost seven months ago now, when Hinata had dragged her to confront her mother at the train session. " _Yachi-san, at this rate, you can't move forward. If you want to do this, you have to tell her."_ He'd gone down to her eye-level and his eyes had been so straight and clear, with the same intensity that he had on court. It was then that she was able to reconcile the on-court and off-court Hinata as the same person.

Telling her mom that she was going to join the volleyball club was seemingly such a simple act, right? Yet it was so much more than that. Because it was the first step to overcoming her lack of confidence, especially when it came to her mom, and moving forward. Had Hinata understood all that? Probably not, but still she'd always be grateful to him for that push that she'd so desperately needed back then.

She definitely had to do her part to keep up with Hinata and the rest of the volleyball team.

* * *

The next few weeks passed by quickly as the end of term wrapped up. Yachi was absorbed with end-of-term tests and assignments, but she tried to spend some time brainstorming for her portfolio. Volleyball practice continued as usual, of course, with the graduating seniors doing their best to prepare their kouhais for the year up ahead. Ennoshita had been chosen to take the helm as captain next year by Ukai and Daichi, but the decision was unanimously supported by the rest of the team.

She returned home one day to find her mom already home, with the table set for dinner.

Her jaw dropped. "Okaa-san, you cooked dinner?" Yachi Madoka despised cooking. Luckily for her, her daughter Hitoka was decent at it (by necessity, not by choice), so she usually left it to her. Yachi couldn't think up of too many plausible reasons for her mother cooking voluntarily. She looked around the kitchen frantically. Was someone threatening her mother at gunpoint? She _was_ the CEO of her own company, and probably had enemies!

Her mother smirked. "It's takeout."

The various imaginative scenarios in Yachi's head shattered and she laughed. "That makes a lot more sense now. But what's the occasion?"

Madoka came up to her and gave her a smothering hug. Okay, now Yachi was _seriously_ confused. "What's going on, Okaa-san?"

Madoka gave her one of her rare smiles, before brandishing a letter in Yachi's face. "Nothing, kiddo. Just proud of you. Can't believe how sneaky, you are! Doing all this without telling your mother." She grinned. "I guess you take after me, after all!"

* * *

Yachi was eating lunch with Hinata and Kageyama when Okamoto barged into her classroom indignantly. "Hitoka, when were you going to tell me?!" He thumped her in the back and she nearly choked on the curry bread that was still in her mouth. "Seriously, congratulations."

"T-thanks!" Yachi touched the back of her head awkwardly, carefully avoiding the curious gazes of her two friends. Her cheeks were burning. "I was going to tell you, senpai, I promise!"

"Are you going to quit the volleyball team and join our club now, then?"

Hinata jumped up, flabbergasted, about to launch a protest, but Okamoto started laughing, "I'm just kidding! I gotta run back to the club room, Hitoka. We'll catch up later. I just came to congratulate you." He exited as quickly as he had appeared, calling out behind him, "Say hi to Nishinoya for me!"

Unable to escape the inquiries from her friends once Okamoto had left, she said, "Do you guys remember the promotional poster I made for the team before the Spring Prelims?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course!" Hinata nodded enthusiastically. "I looked sooo cooool in that poster! The other one you made for the National tournament was awesome too!" Hinata's eyes were shining.

"I submitted that picture for a photo contest on a whim a few weeks ago. The results came out yesterday."

"WOW! That's awesome. How did it go?"

Yachi grinned and did a victory pose, "3rd place overall, and 1st in the _School Life_ category."

Hinata took her hands and in typical Hinata-fashion started jumping up and down in his seat in excitement. "Yachi-san, you're amazing, after all. AND, you're making me famous too. Sankyuuu." He was grinning from ear-to-ear and Yachi couldn't help but giggle.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you, Hinata! For being the inspiration and model for the picture!"

"M-M-MODEL?!" Hinata's jaw dropped. "M-me?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, dumbass," said Kageyama drily.

As Hinata yelled about Kageyama stealing his moment, Yachi bowed her head towards Kageyama. "Kayegama-kun, thank you to you also, for helping me with the picture."

It was Kageyama's turn to be embarrassed. "N-no problem."

"You guys worked so hard this year to get to Nationals. And even though the year is over, I'm sure you'll keep giving it your all." Yachi smiled and pumped her fist. "I have to do my best too!" The school was closed for two weeks before the start of the next academic year in April, but Yachi had no doubt that the volleyball team would keep practicing in their own ways before team practice began again.

Shyly, she added, "I'm going to start working on my art portfolio for university."

"Portfolio?" Hinata struggled to pronounce the English word. "What is that?"

"For a lot of art and design colleges, there's the option of submitting an art portfolio, which has a compilation of your best work. It's usually not mandatory, but you need to do it to be competitive and get into the programs of your choice."

"You mean you don't need to take university entrance exams?! No fair!"

Yachi shook her head ruefully. "No, I have to take those too."

"But wait, Yachi-san, why are you already thinking about college stuff? We haven't even started second year yet!"

"Unlike you, some of us have to worry about passing high school tests for the next two years first," Kageyama spoke up somewhat jealously.

Yachi laughed nervously, "It's not like that! Portfolios take a lot of time, because it's not necessarily something you make specifically for the college application. It's just a way to showcase your talent in the context of the fine arts program you're applying for. Like, for example, people might compile their best work from their high school art club, or maybe projects they did for a design class, and so on. Since I'm not part of an art club, I need to start thinking about what I can compose for the portfolio. I just hope I'm not too late to start thinking about this and that I have enough time to get something decent together by the end of high school."

When Hinata and Kageyama looked even more confused than before Yachi racked her brain for a way to make two volleyball-obsessed idiots understand. "What do you need to get into a university on a volleyball scholarship?"

"You need a recommendation from a manager or coach from the university." Kageyama said instantly. "But before that, you need to perform really well at interhigh tournaments and get your name out there. Get invited to national camps and stuff."

At that last bit, Hinata gave Kageyama a jealous stare, before adding, "You need to keep training really, really hard. Daichi-san said getting a recommendation unless you're a top-ranked player in a top-ranked school is almost impossible."

"But that's something you have to keep working towards, right?" said Yachi.

"Right!"

"So you're saying, the same kind of thing applies to creating a portfolio?" asked Kageyama.

Yachi smiled. It's funny how quickly they got it once she explained it in volleyball terms.

"Yachi-san! If you ever need help with pictures again, let us know! Happy to help anytime!" Hinata exclaimed.

Kageyama rolled his eyes. "You're such a simpleton. It's 'cause you fancy yourself to be some sort of model now, am I right?"

"Whattt, noo!"

"Actually, I _will_ need help from both of you!" Yachi interjected, effectively stopping the two from bickering. "I've been thinking about themes for my portfolio, and I will definitely need some people to pose for me from time to time. So I'm planning to ask all the first-years in the club! It's much easier for me to work with friends." Yachi smiled brightly. "So, Hinata and Kageyama-kun, will you please help me out?"

"Absolutely!" Hinata cried. Kageyama simply nodded and Yachi thanked both of them profusely.

"Wait, did you say all the first-years?!" Hinata had a sudden realization. "You mean, Tsukishima too? That guy doesn't lift a finger for anyone. Stingyshima."

"I practically had to beg him for tutoring help." Kageyama said darkly. "Good luck getting him to help you. You're better of asking some random classmate."

Yachi decided not to mention that Tsukishima was far nicer to her than he was to them. Maybe it was because she wasn't competing with him in volleyball?

* * *

Yachi was so deep in thought that she didn't notice Kageyama approach her until he was right at her face, brandishing a volleyball in front of him.

Yachi's imagination went wild. Could it be that Kageyama actually wanted to kill her? How could she possibly have pushed his buttons to that extent? Was the water she gave them today at the practice match not cool enough? Was it actually possible to kill someone with a volleyball?

"You've been staring at me." Kageyama looked down at her menacingly.

"Eep!" Yachi squeaked, and in her surprise, stumbled and fell.

The illusion was immediately broken as Kageyama dropped the volleyball and helped her up. Awkwardly, he mumbled, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I was wondering if there was something on my face."

Yachi laughed at herself for being silly and scratched her head. "I wasn't trying to stare. I was just lost in thought thinking about our photoshoot today."

"You should dress him up as a king," Hinata giggled from a few feet away.

"Ooh, interesting idea, Hinata." Yachi said casually.

Kageyama looked horror-struck in between them. "Yachi-san, could it be that you were actually thinking of doing that all along!?"

"Hahaha, no way." Yachi said, unconvincingly.

"UGH!" Kageyama stalked off as Hinata snickered uncontrollably by himself.

Kageyama looked really confused as Yachi readied her camera at the gym an hour later.

"Wait, you're just taking pictures of us in our gym shorts in the court? I thought you said it wasn't going to be related to volleyball."

"Yeah!" Yachi said brightly. "In this particular piece, I'm trying to show my digital editing skills, not my photography. In the final product, you won't see the gym, and you won't be in these clothes."

"Uh… That's actually not comforting at all! You could practically do anything with my picture!"

"I'm not skilled enough to do anything crazy with your picture, Kageyama-kun!" Then, flashing her best smile, she said, "So, trust me! And I promise I won't send anything without getting your final approval!"

Kageyama looked skeptical, but he wouldn't go back on his word now. He had said he would help her, and so he would.

Yachi made him pose with his neutral expression. The intimidating aura that he naturally possessed was perfect for her purposes. Hinata, who was behind Kageyama holding an umbrella with both hands, proved more challenging. She needed him to have a docile, subdued expression, but every time she clicked the shutter, Hinata would start grinning at the camera. It was only adorable the first three times. Eventually they found a way to make Hinata sport a serious expression. Kageyama told him to think about their defeat to Aoba Johsai at their first Inter High.

Yachi never told them what she was doing with each shot. She liked keeping an element of surprise in her work. It was something she had learned from her mother. A good design or picture was the same as a good book. You had to keep the audience hooked with plot twists till the end. Give them that little burst of adrenaline. Otherwise, why would they bother reading it?

After she was done at the gym, Yachi took them to a costume shop. Hinata was pretty hyped about going, but Kageyama had to be gently coaxed into it. She made them try a variety of costumes, some because she had a specific purpose, but others simply because she was scoping out ideas. She would rather have more to work with than tear out her hair in frustration later because she was missing a small detail.

After just a few pictures though, the irritated shopkeeper asked them to leave if they were not buying anything, which Yachi thought was a fair demand. They were being freeloaders after all. She looked woefully at her wallet. She barely had enough money to get one costume, forget multiple sets.

"We're your only customers here." Kageyama deadpanned.

Yachi cringed as she saw the furious expression on the shopkeeper's face, who until now had been trying hard to maintain politeness.

"This is an awesome shop you have here, oji-san!" Hinata cheerfully interjected, gesturing at the kimono he was wearing. "I have to bring my little sister here to show her the _Hello Kitty_ stuff. She loves Kitty-chan!"

Yachi's eyes bulged. Was Hinata actually oblivious to the atmosphere or was it just an act? And yet, the shopkeeper thawed slightly.

Yachi followed Hinata's lead. Glancing at the shopkeeper's nametag, she bowed deeply. "I'm sorry for the trouble, Takematsu-san. I wasn't sure what to buy because I don't know exactly what I need yet. I might not end up using any of this at all." That much was true. "But, um, if you like any of the pictures… t-that is, if they're good enough, you can use them for your shop if you'd like."

"I don't need it." The shopkeeper said shortly.

"But, oji-san. Yachi-san takes _reallyyy_ good pictures!" Hinata insisted, gesturing wildly with his hands, puffy kimono sleeves and all. "She's our precious volleyball club manager, and she's helped us get a lot of money with her posters!"

"I can make a poster for your shop sometime too, if you'd like!" Yachi said with a smile. It was hard not to feel confident when Hinata and Kageyama had her back like this. Even if she was slightly frightened of the shopkeeper, Hinata's words had given her the boost she needed, and Kageyama's presence behind her was comforting.

"That's pretty generous of you, Yachi-san." Kageyama coolly surveyed the shop again as if to say, _For a dump like this?_

Kageyama and the shopkeeper stared each down for a few moments. Then, she saw the shopkeeper visibly back down. He turned and said, "Fifteen minutes. That's it."

"That was incredible, guys!" Yachi exclaimed the moment the shopkeeper was out of earshot, shocked at how they'd maneuvered the situation to their advantage.

Hinata hi-fived her, and even Kageyama's mouth turned up slightly into a smile.

* * *

It took Yachi weeks to get anywhere with her first piece for the portfolio. By the beginning of May, her frustration had reached peak levels. Despite several consultations with Okamoto, she found it difficult to keep going. _It isn't because you lack talent_ , Yachi kept reasoning with herself. After all, it was the first time she was trying to digitally sketch and color original artwork, and it was costume design to boot, something she had no experience with.

Kageyama's hunch had been correct during the photoshoot. The concept was Kageyama as king, with Hinata as his knight, holding Kageyama's weapon. She was using the picture she'd taken at the gym as the base picture, but replacing their gym clothes with her designed costumes. She'd decided to design the costumes herself because Okamoto had told her that art schools preferred candidates that displayed strong observational drawing skills. Observational drawing wasn't her strong suit, but she could at least try. Yachi had finished designing the costumes some time ago, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't quite get the clothes to look right. The fact that the costumes were photoshopped was obvious, not to mention that Hinata and Kageyama bodies looked misshapen.

But even though she hadn't completed the king-knight piece _,_ she already had an idea for her next project. It had been nagging at her consciousness for the last few days, begging release.

Yachi finally gave in. Putting her desktop on sleep mode, she grabbed her camera bag and purse and left the apartment.

She wandered around hopping from station to station, taking pictures at all the famous tourist spots, even going as far as Matsushima. As she gazed out into the bay from the pier, an idea solidified in her mind.

When Yachi was still in grade school, her mother was branding consultant for Miyagi's tourism branch, and during weekends, would take her daughter along to her photo shoots. Yachi remembered being spellbound by Miyagi's rich natural and cultural heritage. Her favorite had always been Matsushima – the spectacular view of the bay from Kanreitei teahouse, and in the spring, the cherry blossoms at the Saigo Modoshi park.

Over the years, the tourism industry in Miyagi had fallen far behind the other regions in Japan. And yet, when she visited some of the more popular tourist hotspots with her mother, mostly in Tokyo, Kyoto and Hokkaido, she thought Miyagi surpassed all of them. She really wanted to show the rest of Japan how amazing Miyagi could be!

She had decided earlier that people would be the main subject in all her pieces for the portfolio, despite the setting. However, for this next piece, she thought she could turn that concept on its head, and use the people to enhance the backdrop instead.

When she thought of tourism, she thought of happiness, sunlight and friendly smiles. If she had to choose a subject for her pictures, she knew Nishinoya would fit the bill well. With his hurricane-like energy, he could guide a tourist down the steepest mountain, or the deepest ravine, and they would probably still follow him. And yet… somehow, all Yachi could think of was Hinata, with his ability to thaw the coldest heart, and become friends with anyone. Hinata was like warm, inviting sunlight…

She already knew how to work with Hinata while Nishinoya's boisterous energy might be hard for her to handle. Plus, she'd feel better about bothering Hinata, who was a close friend, compared to inconveniencing her senpai _._ She was NOT making excuses to spend time with Hinata, certainly not!

She gripped the railing tightly. Who was she kidding? She liked Hinata. She'd liked him since the day he took her hand and pulled her all the way to the train station to confront her mom. Her liking hadn't decreased at all in the year that followed. It was quite the opposite.

But Hinata was her _friend_. One of her closest friends, along with Kageyama, as a result of all their study dates. She was happy to watch him, and spend time with him, and support him.

Because even though Hinata made her feel like she could accomplish anything, too much of a good thing was _bad._ Like, too much sunlight can cause skin cancer. Or too much sugar is bad for you. Hinata was like a delicious dessert. But he was _too_ sweet. He could cause cavities. And Yachi hated the dentist, so her teeth would probably fall out and the tooth fairy would have to visit.

A sudden image of Hinata dressed as a tooth fairy popped into her head. And even though she was feeling depressed a moment earlier, she burst into giggles.

* * *

Yachi had felt guilty about asking Hinata for a photo shoot on his only day off in weeks (Ukai only gave them a "rest" day two times a month, not that Hinata minded at all) but she need not have worried. Hinata seemed super pumped to do tourist-y things. Plus, being chosen as a "solo model" gave him quite an ego boost.

"I'll treat you to gyutan at Sendai Station." Yachi smiled as they walked to their first destination. She knew how much he loved meat.

Hinata cheered and punched the air in excitement. "It's like you're taking me on a date!"

Yachi laughed nervously at that, but Hinata didn't seem to notice her blush as he chanted "Gyutan! Gyutan! Gyutan!" on their way to the station.

Unlike their first photo shoot, Hinata made her job easy this time as he explored each site with his usual vivaciousness and energy. At the end of the day, Yachi was tired to the bone, since they'd gone all around the prefecture, but she had no trouble at all selecting the pictures that would go into her two-page spread Miyagi tourism guide:

Hinata looking out from the guard tower at Aoba Castle with a stupid grin on his face. Hinata terrified by an artisanal doll at the Kokeshi Museum. Hinata looking blissfully content inside an onsen in Naruko. (This one was logistically trying. Yachi had to utilize one of her mother's contacts to take pictures at one of the public baths at a moment when there was no one else using it. It had been somewhat mortifying for her but Hinata hadn't been embarrassed in the least.) Hinata at the Kanrantei traditional teahouse, sipping tea and contemplating the view of Matsushima Bay. (Getting Hinata to sit still for more than 10 seconds had proved challenging.) There were some serious ones too such as Hinata offering a prayer at the Zuiganji temple, and Hinata under a cedar tree gazing behind him at the Zuihoden Mausoleum, the resting place of Lord Masamune.

On the top, she would place a picture of Hinata extending his hand out to the reader, with the caption: _Welcome to Miyagi! Your personal tour guide, Sho-chan, will guide you through some of the best sights of the prefecture!_

* * *

Karasuno's practice match against Tokonami High, a somewhat weaker team, was business as usual. Yachi let her mind wander, pondering the latest roadblock in her current project, and without even realizing it, let out a long sigh. Beside her, Sugawara, who was home for winter break and observing the practice match, looked up with some surprise.

"Something wrong, Yachi-san?"

Yachi let out an embarrassed laugh. She didn't know how to explain her predicament to her senpai.

During the summer, when her duties for the volleyball team were at a lull period after the end of camp, she'd started going to her mother's firm to help out. She was out of ideas for her portfolio, and she figured this would help her gain some new skills. Yachi Create was a company of four design consultants in a tiny downtown office, and they appreciated any help they could get, especially since Hitoka's services were _free._ Kawaguchi-san, her mother's kouhai, was always particularly nice to her for some reason, and he usually gave her useful work to do.

When grabbing coffee for the office once day, she discovered that the western-style café she'd frequented as a child was gone from its prime, expansive location on the second floor. Relegated to a corner on the sixth floor, it seemed like a shadow of its former self. A few individual offices had been knocked down for the café, which explained why it was such a long, narrow space.

Gone were the luscious, lounging armchairs and circular, mahogany coffee tables. In their place was a long bar-style table, facing the window, with fifteen stools. She supposed one plus point for the new location was that the view was better.

Some things had remained the same. The rich aroma of roasted coffee beans, and the delicious smell of baked goods, which were made fresh every morning. The owner recognized her, commenting on how big she'd gotten. It had been a few years, but the lady was as friendly as ever. When she was younger, she'd sit in the café for hours, and the lady would refill her hot chocolate for free or give her pastries on the house.

She sat on one of the bar stools, gazing out into the city, her original errand forgotten. What if she did a 180-degree panoramic photo of customers sipping their drinks facing out into the window? Despite the café being deserted right now, she could already see it in her minds' eye. You would see the interior of the cozy café but your attention would immediately be drawn to the individual patrons, and you would find yourself pondering about each of their stories.

She'd recently helped Kawaguchi stitch up a wide angle panoramic shot of the downtown horizon based on multiple images. It hadn't been too difficult to stitch up the images using Photoshop and Lightroom. As Yachi soon found out, stitching up the images was the _easiest_ part of the process. It had probably been so easy for her because Kawaguchi had taken amazing pictures. He was an expert at this and his sophisticated gear was built for it.

It took her several weeks, and countless back and forth with Kawaguchi to get passable images. The process was particularly slow because now that school had started again, she could only come during weekends, provided there wasn't a practice match. But the owner was nice enough to give her free reign, allowing her to set up her tripod behind the counter so she could maximize the distance from the window to her camera. Once she had that down though, it was relatively simple to superimpose seated café patrons into the panoramic shot.

Her first set of 'patrons' was Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. The latter grumbled the entire way to the café, but piped down when she bought him coffee. She asked them to behave as they would normally at a café, but she supposed Tsukishima, who only beat to his own drum, would have done that regardless. He opted to take out his notebook and study for their upcoming test, and Yamaguchi followed his example.

Nishinoya and Tanaka, her second set, talked loudly and animatedly about girls, volleyball, and more girls the entire duration of her shoot. She was anxious about bothering the only other customer, an elderly regular, who was seated at the café that day. However, to her delight, he graciously volunteered to participate in her photo shoot.

Her final subject was Kageyama. When asked to act as he would normally at a coffee shop, to her amusement, he simply went for utility, downing his cold brew in a matter of minutes and then looking at her expectantly.

Once she assembled the whole piece, panoramic shot combined with her models, she immediately saw the problem. There were six patrons in a space that seated fifteen, and there was an unusually large gap near the center. She also thought she was missing one particular dynamic among her subjects. When she thought of cozy cafés, she thought of romance… And what she really needed was a young, lovey-dovey couple. But she spent most of her free time with volleyball-obsessed idiots who didn't have a clue about romance. Where was she supposed to find a young couple?

Back to the present, Sugawara's question hung in the air. His presence was so soothing, that her predicament came pouring out of her in a rush. Sugawara looked amused, then thoughtful.

With a sudden grin, he said, "I might be able to help!"

* * *

She'd just finished setting up the tripod when the café door chimed.

"Sawamura-san!" she grinned. The old Karasuno captain looked the same as ever.

"Long time no see, Yachi." He greeted back with a smile.

The tall, short-haired girl who followed behind him was vaguely familiar. It was only when she gave her a cheerful wave that she recognized her as the former captain of the Karasuno Girl's Volleyball team. She knew she was friends with Sawamura, Azumane and Sugawara, but this was a complete shock.

"Sawamura-san, I didn't know you were dating Michimiya-san!"

Yachi knew she had said the wrong thing when she saw Michimiya gape at her like a fish, while Sawamura blinked in surprise. "Did you need a couple for your shoot? Suga just said you needed a guy and a girl of college age, but that he was too busy to help."

Yachi did her best to look composed, even though she just wanted to cry. _Sugawara-san, what are you plotting?!_ He had been awfully cryptic when he had said he would help her, but looking back now, Yachi shouldn't have been so trusting! But it was almost impossible not to instinctively trust her gentle, calm senpai.

"Uhm… being a couple isn't a requirement, as long as you're comfortable pretending to be one for a few pictures."

Michimiya, who'd turned red to the tips of her ears, opened and closed her mouth several times, but no words came out. Oblivious, Sawamura said confidently, "Being comfortable isn't a problem! Michimiya and I have been friends since we were kids."

Yachi looked from Michimiya to Sawamura, and everything suddenly clicked into place. _Sawamura-san, how can you be so dense?!_

Her phone buzzed with a text. It was Sugawara. ' _I'm sorry for playing you, Yacchan! I've failed at trying to get those two idiots together for the last three years. I thought it was time to pass the torch.'_

Yachi realized that text was phrased in a way to flatter her, but that didn't mean she wasn't susceptible. A fire was lit within her. _I won't let you down, Sugawara-san!_

She told the two to pretend to be a new couple who were very much in love. She gave them free reign over how to do it. Then she stepped back to where her tripod was stationed and let the magic happen.

She couldn't hear them over the music from her position on the opposite wall, but she had a perfect view. There was an initial period of awkwardness during which Sawamura scratched his head, and Michimiya twiddled with her thumbs. Then, Sawamura seemed to crack a joke and Michimiya punched him in the gut in response. They both doubled over in laughter afterwards. Whatever tension they had before broken, Sawamura pulled his stool closer to hers, took her hands in his, and conversed with her.

Yachi took shot after shot, a bit breathless by how perfect they were. Michimiya and Sawamura had struck just the right balance of intimacy and shyness that Yachi could imagine for a new couple.

She knew what it was like to hide your feelings for a friend. Keeping it a secret was difficult, but the fear of rejection was far worse. People might say the potential reward was worth the risk. But that was only if your chance of success was high. No-one would plunge themselves into battle if defeat was almost certain. She was sure if she related this to Takeda-sensei or Kawaguchi-san, they'd say something like, "Believe in yourself!". But it wasn't about self-confidence. Relationships didn't involve one person. If the other person had never shown any interest whatsoever, what business did she have revealing herself? She wasn't egotistical enough to confess just so that she could get it off her chest.

She quietly slipped out with her equipment from the back entrance once she was satisfied with the pictures. Her job was done.

She remembered to text her senpai an update. ' _Sugawara-san, I did all I could! The rest is up to them. But I have a good feeling ^-^_ '

* * *

Third year passed by at breakneck speed. Whatever free time she had before was taken up by preparing for college exams. She'd considered going to cram school, but her schedule left no room for it and she was confident enough in her studying abilities to not worry about it too much.

The volleyball team had also picked up the pace. They had narrowly defeated Dateko in five sets at the spring prefecture playoff final and were going to Nationals. The thirst of the graduating seniors, particularly Hinata and Kageyama, to win the tournament was insatiable.

Unfortunately for the third years though, college exams fell the week before the National tournament in January. They were all scrambling to finish their studying early so they would have time for practice matches. For Yachi, the more immediate concern was finishing her portfolio. The deadline was next week but required hard copies, so she needed to mail her portfolio in a day or two to ensure it reached on time.

It was still the king-knight piece that was bothering her. She was satisfied with most of the other ones, but this one she just couldn't get it right.

"Neee, Yacchan, is it okay if I take a break now?"

Hinata was sprawled on her floor rug, classical literature textbook open in front of him. He was fidgeting with the volleyball in his right arm, eyes glazed over as he stared at his notes.

Yachi glanced over at her desk clock. "You've already taken three breaks in the last two hours. So, no, you can't."

Pleased when Hinata went back to studying, Yachi had only just begun to touch up the jewels in Kageyama's crown, when the silence was broken.

"Classical literature is the most boring thing ever."

Yachi rarely ever found Hinata to be annoying. But today, when her patience was already at an all-time low because of her artwork, she snapped. "It won't seem so boring if you fail college entrance exams and have to wait a year to join a volleyball team again."

To her surprise, instead of pouting or acting hurt, Hinata whipped out his cellphone. "Hello, police? Yes, I think Kageyama Tobio has possessed my friend Yachi Hitoka. Please send help IMMEDIATELY!"

Hinata grinned when Yachi burst into giggles. He crawled over to her desk and took her hands. "Are you mad at me today for some reason?"

Yachi burned under his earnest gaze. "N-no. I'm just stressed out because of the deadline, that's all."

Hinata glanced at the desktop, and sprang up to take a closer look. "It's his Highness Kageyama-sama!"

Yachi zoomed out so that he could see the whole thing and disabled the gridlines.

"Wait, and me?! Why am I Kageyama's servant?" Hinata looked at her accusingly.

Yachi hid a smile. She _knew_ this would be his reaction. "You're not a servant! You're a knight!"

"Hmph. Same difference."

She explained how she had conceived the concept. She had thought of it when Shimada-san had explained some tactical strategies of the setter during once of Karasuno's matches. The setter had the final say on who would attack and how. For an attack-based team such as Karasuno, the setter really did rule the court. But even if the setter was the king, it was the wing-spikers who executed his will – they were the king's knights. In that case, that made Hinata the First Knight of the Karasuno team. Her explanation predictably placated Hinata.

"I don't remember you taking this picture though."

Yachi pressed some commands in her editing software and disabled all the layers in the picture but the first. Hinata's jaw dropped as he witnessed Sir Shoyo the valiant Knight, with a sword underneath an ominous sky, transform back into Hinata in his gym shorts, holding a school-issued umbrella. Seeing the awe in his expression filled Yachi with indescribable delight.

He begged her to do it again, and she happily obliged.

"But, Yacchan, this is really amazing! When I first saw it I couldn't even tell that the costumes weren't real. What's the problem?"

It might seem realistic to Hinata, but it wouldn't be the same for the experts who would judge her work. But Yachi didn't tell Hinata that.

"Our last National tournament is only a month away." Yachi blinked at the sudden change in topic but Hinata's eyes were focused into the distance. Simulating a match perhaps?

"The guys out there are _monsters_ , and I know a month isn't enough time to be ready. But I can't do anything about my inexperience. I can't stop time. All I can do is give it my best right now so that I don't have any regrets."

Hinata knelt down it front of her again, "Isn't it the same for you, Yacchan? I know you've given it your absolute best since the moment you decided to do this. So, in the time you have left, finish it, submit it and be proud! Cause your work is really amazing!"

Hinata gave her a bone-crushing hug, and Yachi couldn't help but tear up slightly.

"Tell you what," he said when he released her. "Once you send it off, I'll treat you to any place of your choice."

"So, it's a date?" she teased.

Hinata got flustered. She could have sworn she saw him blush. But then he grinned and said, "Sure!"

* * *

She was tossing balls to Kageyama, who was practicing his jump serves, something he had recently added to his repertoire. Most of the other club members had left by this time, since their scheduled Saturday practice time had been over for an hour. Normally, Hinata would have been the last to leave as well but he'd had to rush off today because his mother had left him in charge of his sister and their house while she was out.

Yachi cringed at Kageyama's furious expression when he missed yet another serve. When he got his jump serves in, they were nearly unstoppable, but the problem was getting them in. It was to be expected though, since he had only just acquired this technique.

"Kageyama-kun, why is it that you're so bent on mastering this, when the success rate is so low?" Yachi asked him curiously.

She nearly quaked under his stare when he turned to her. "What do you mean why? My dream is to win the National Tournament. Those who are afraid of taking risks don't deserve to win."

Yachi _knew_ that comment wasn't directed at her, but still, it stung.

His words kept playing in her head long after they had wrapped up in the gym and moved to the library to get some studying done for their mock college entrance exam tomorrow. She turned page after page in her notes, but nothing registered in her brain.

 _Those who are afraid of taking risks don't deserve to win._ Was she a coward?

"Are you actually going to study or are you just that confident?" Kageyama raised an eyebrow.

Yachi squirmed. "What you said earlier about taking risks really struck a nerve…"

"I don't even remember what I said." Kageyama said casually. He smirked at Yachi's aghast expression, "I'm obviously kidding. Why would it bother you?"

"Because, there's something that I've wanted to do for a long time that I keep putting off because I'm afraid of failure."

Irritation crossed Kageyama's features. "If you want my help, stop it with the hypotheatrical situations already!"

"Kageyama-kun, did you mean 'hypothetical' situations?"

Yachi giggled as Kageyama scrunched his face in embarrassment. "There, there. It was a pretty cool dialogue otherwise."

"Well?" Kageyama continued impatiently. "Stop stalling and tell me already."

Yachi took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing._ Looking at her notebook, instead of his face, she said, "I'm in love with Hinata."

In the silence that followed, Yachi was afraid to look Kageyama in the eye, but when she did, his expression was completely unreadable.

"How long have you… er… had feelings for him?"

That was easy. "Before summer camp."

"This year?"

Yachi laughed. "No! Our first year, when I joined the club."

She was taken aback when Kageyama rose from his chair, "Are you an idiot?!" He had slammed his fist on the table.

He sat back down awkwardly when he received stares from nearby students. "What are you waiting for exactly, huh?" He said more calmly.

"I-I don't know." Yachi said nervously.

"It's _Hinata_ we are talking about here. Regardless of what his own feelings are, he would _listen_ to you, and he would be happy that you thought of him that way. Don't you know that?"

"Yeah…" She looked at her hands, shamefacedly.

Kageyama dumped his study materials in his bag in one smooth motion. "Come on."

"Wh-Where are we going?" she stuttered. When Kageyama was like this, he was quite terrifying.

"To Hinata's house, of course, idiot!"

"Ehhh?" she cried, when his words registered. "Why?"

"The dumbass is probably using babysitting his sister as an excuse to not study. And since you're also not working…" Here he looked at her pointedly, "we might as well go help him pass tomorrow. I'm going to leave his house early since I got a head start studying, at which point you will tell Hinata what you told me."

Yachi's eyes bulged. "Today?!"

Kageyama's stern glare, which her senpais had lovingly dubbed his dictatorship face, left no room for argument.

Kageyama's prediction was correct. After they'd finished making the long trek to Hinata's house by bus, they found Hinata playing volleyball with his sister in their backyard. Natsu twittered with excitement at the prospect of having additional playmates, but was let down immediately as she realized they had to study. When Kageyama graciously offered to play volleyball with Natsu so that her brother could go study, Hinata was convinced the setter was down with fever or had been drugged. Even Yachi was shocked, despite knowing her friend's ulterior motive.

"Who's gonna come whining to me when you fail your exams, huh, dumbass?" Kageyama said, holding Hinata in a deadlock. Kageyama had received a recommendation to a university with a reputed volleyball team, so he had more leeway, but Hinata had no such luxury.

Natsu eventually tired herself out from all the excitement and the excessive hours of play, and fell asleep on the couch. When Hinata went to carry her upstairs so she could rest properly in her bed, Kageyama grabbed his jacket.

"You better not chicken out," he told Yachi sternly.

Yachi smiled and gave him a hug. Kageyama had a hard exterior, but he was actually really kind and considerate, wasn't he?

He patted her on the back awkwardly, muttering, "Both of you are so frustrating…"

Yachi didn't get a chance to ask him what he meant because Hinata came back, skipping down the steps three at a time.

Maybe it was because her actual objective of confessing to Hinata was so much more difficult, but Yachi found herself falling into the rhythm of studying easily, occasionally answering Hinata's questions. Time flew by in the blink of the eye, because the next thing she knew, Hinata's mother had returned home. Yachi realized with a sinking feeling that she had missed her opportunity…

"Sorry for intruding." Yachi bowed to Hinata's mother timidly. "I should be heading home soon as well." She said to the younger Hinata.

"Why don't you stay put for a little bit longer, Hitoka?" Hinata's mother said warmly. "I'll be done making dinner soon. Shoyo, after dinner can you walk her to the bus stop? It's already quite dark."

"Osu!" Hinata responded.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly bother you any longer." Yachi protested weakly.

Hinata's mother waved her off. "Dinner is the least I can provide as thanks for making my idiot son study." Yachi covered a smile as Hinata pouted.

Well, it seemed lady luck was smiling down at her today… She had one other opportunity to tell Hinata, and she wasn't going to screw this one up.

…

"Okaa-chan, I'll take Yacchan all the way to her place. It's really nice out, so I want to bike back!" Hinata called to his mom before they left his house.

"That's fine, but don't think you'll get off dish duty just because of that. You'll do them once you get back." She responded from the kitchen.

"You're so strict, 'Kaa-chan." Hinata whined.

"I have to be, with you." She retorted back.

Yachi would have thought that Hinata's mom had her hands full, with the two vigorous balls of energy that dominated her household, but it seemed like she knew how to handle them just fine. They were a really adorable family.

Hinata chattered non-stop on their way, but the farther that they went, the harder Yachi found to concentrate, as the burden of having to tell him became heavier and heavier. Her palms started sweating. Her breath hitched.

Finally, unable to take it any longer, Yachi stopped in her tracks. Hinata looked back at her inquiringly.

She blurted. "Hinata, I like you!" Her brain kicked into overdrive with the realization that, yes, she had finally said it. It was out in the open. To make sure he couldn't mistake her meaning in any way, she continued, "Being with you makes me really happy, and I want to keep doing that in the future!"

Yachi expected Hinata to be shocked, surprised, maybe bewildered. And yet he simply, stared back at her with a shy smile and said, "I like you too, Yacchan!"

"Y-you do?" she said suspiciously. Was her meaning not clear enough? Did he think she meant it platonically?

"Yeah!" He dropped his bike against the sidewalk and came closer, invading her personal space like it was nothing, as usual. "Umm… how do I explain it. When you smile at me, it feels the same as when I successfully spike a ball!" He was grinning from ear-to-ear.

Leave it to Hinata to describe his feelings through volleyball analogies. But still, she was blushing furiously.

Hinata grabbed his bike. Then, as if it was as easy as breathing, took her left hand with his free one, and started walking again. Yachi thought her heart would explode. How was he going about everything so casually?!

"Uh… Hinata," she said after they'd walked just a few steps. "How come you don't seem surprised at all?"

Hinata looked sheepish. "Sooo… last week, I was telling Kageyama about how I'd failed to ask you out. I think he was really annoyed at me, because it was my fifth time chickening out."

Five times?! How come she had never had any inkling whatsoever?

"Anywayyy… so I was sitting there depressed, talking about how there was no hope, when Kageyama bet me three weeks of curry buns that you liked me back. Of course, it was just to force me to finally ask you out. And I did."

He did? There was no way… But then, she understood. "You mean… last week, that celebratory dinner for completing my portfolio?"

Hinata nodded vigorously. "Well, even though you teased me about it, you didn't actually treat it like an actual date. I thought that meant you didn't like me back and that I had won the bet. But Kageyama said it didn't count."

"Of course, it didn't count! I thought it was just your way of cheering me up that day when I was upset! No matter how you look at it, it was platonic."

"Fine, fine, let's call that my sixth failed attempt then." He grinned. "But see, failures eventually lead to successes!"

But that still didn't explain Hinata's lack of a reaction, when she finally confessed. Unless…

"That smug bastard Kusoyama, he couldn't keep the secret to himself, and let me be surprised when you told me!" Hinata whipped out his phone.

 _ **1/1 15.21pm  
From: Kageyama Tobio  
Subject: None**_ _  
Looks like I win the bet, dumbass._

"But he didn't elaborate any more than that, so, when you guys came over, I had to wait patiently for you to say something. I didn't know what to say! It was so frustrating!"

Yachi thought that Hinata had been unusually quiet and obedient today while they studied. Everything made sense now.

"I even decided to walk you all the way to your house today to give you more time. I was almost starting to think Kageyama was messing with me!"

"Kageyama-kun totally played me!" Yachi said, pouting. "I thought he was just being really kind and thoughtful. I can't believe it was all for the sake of winning a bet!"

Hinata cracked up. "Kind and thoughtful? Kageyama? Are we talking about the same person?"

Yachi smiled. "I guess I should never underestimate the lengths you guys will go to win over each other."

"Three weeks of curry buns are worth fighting for!" Hinata protested.

He took her hand again and gave her his most charming smile, "But this is one win I'll gladly concede to him!"

Yachi knew Hinata had a way with words. She _knew._ But still, she just melted.

…

Yachi lay wide awake at night, unable to sleep, giddy from the events of the day. That didn't bode well for her exam the next day, but she would just have to hope for the best.

Her brain on complete overdrive, presumably riding on a Hinata-high, her high school life flashed before her eyes. She noted a common thread in major turning points in her life the last three years. Looking back, all she would have needed whenever she faced major obstacles were just a little bit of faith and confidence in herself.

Luckily for her, she had all those people, who constantly pushed her in the right direction whenever she needed it. She silently thanked all those people in her life. She wouldn't have made it far without them.

Her mom. Hinata. Kageyama. Shimizu-senpai. Takeda-sensei, and the others in the volleyball team. Okamoto-senpai. Kawaguchi-san. The café shop owner.

 _Thank you. Thank you. Thank you._

No matter what happened in the three months remaining of her school life, she knew that she would get through it.

When her mother came to wake her up in the morning, she noted the tears in her daughter's eyes with some concern. But Yachi simply jumped out of bed, not having slept a wink, and into her mother's arms, hugging her happily.

 **End**

* * *

 **Comments:** My first foray into the Haikyuu fandom, but I had a lot of fun with this! Yachi is adorable, but so is literally everyone else in the Haikyuu cast! I wanted to focus on Yachi simply because, well, since she isn't on the team, she gets much less panel time than the rest of the cast, and I felt she deserved some more love. I've always really loved her back story, and the way Furudate developed her character and seamlessly integrated her with the rest of the cast, as if she'd been there right from the beginning.

I would love to know your thoughts and comments.


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